About to buy myself a frog and jig setup

[Boomstick]

Hey guys, I'm about to finally invest in a heavy power rod for frogging and jigs in heavy cover, which will give me a nice full lineup of rods for bass fishing (minus a swimbait rod which comes after I buy a boat).

 

I'm fairly set on the rod. I was originally planning on getting the Daiwa Tatula frog rod, the 7'4" that is rated between .5oz and 2oz but first I am not 100% positive I can fit it in the cabin of my truck but the bigger issue is many users have told me that it's so stiff that you need an abnormally heavy frog to get any distance out of it. So I'm leaning towards the 7'1" Tatula instead which is rated for 3/8 - 1.5oz which should be perfect for both techniques and I know I can fit that inside my truck without having to rig up any rod storage in the bed (which I haven't done yet). So I'm pretty set on the rod, but have some questions on which reel to buy.

 

I am torn between a 8.1:1 gear ratio Daiwa Tatula CT (although might go with a 7.3:1 ratio because they're around $30 cheaper) or a Tatula 150 or 200 in a 7.3:1 gear ratio. Is there any real benefit of the deeper spool and higher line capacity reels or should I just save the money and go with a 7.3:1 Tatula CT?

 

Bonus question: I have some 17lb flurocarbon sitting around, would that be good on my MH/F rod which I will use for soft plastics and jigs. I have seem people use 15-20lb line for these presentations but have always used 12 or 15lb line myself.

[Mr Swim Jig]

The Tatula frog rod is for heavier frog presentation and thick lily pads, at least that is what mine is used specifically for.  The 7'1 1" Tatula would work very well for both presentations.  I currently have a original Tatula Type-R in 8.1:1 for my frog rod and my jig rod.

 

Any of the reels you mentioned would be great, ratio is completely up to you, I prefer the 8.1:1 speed reels for just about everything.

 

17lbs fluorocarbon will be just fine...

[Jrob78]

Can't help you with the rods, don't have experience with any of those but fluorocarbon isn't great for frogs because it sinks.

[keagbassr]

I had the xt 7-3 hf it was definitely a pool cue which is.why I loved it for a frog  rod. ( broke it last year) not sure what you have for a truck but mine went in my colorado front to back crossways no.prob. As for frog weight i threw snagproof phat frogs which weigh  .67oz.  A mile easily on that rod. Not sure if these are abnormally heavy for you. Hope this helps.

[Boomstick]

44 minutes ago, Jrob78 said:

Can't help you with the rods, don't have experience with any of those but fluorocarbon isn't great for frogs because it sinks.

I'm using 40lb on the MH/F rod now for frogs, and will use 65lb braid on the heavy rod but once I get a heavy rod, I want to go back to mono or fc on my MH/F rod, so the 17lb fluorocarbon was for the MH/F rod.

[Jrob78]

4 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

I'm using 40lb on the MH/F rod now for frogs, and will use 65lb braid on the heavy rod but once I get a heavy rod, I want to go back to mono or fc on my MH/F rod, so the 17lb fluorocarbon was for the MH/F rod.

Gotcha, I misread that part. I like 17-20 for jigs and usually 12-15 for most soft plastics but 17 should be good for a combo plastic jig rod.

[Boomstick]

2 minutes ago, Jrob78 said:

Gotcha, I misread that part. I like 17-20 for jigs and usually 12-15 for most soft plastics but 17 should be good for a combo plastic jig rod.

15 would probably be more ideal as that will be more soft plastics, but I will use that rod for skipping jigs under docks still since I have the Tatula SV paired with it, so I'd like to be able to do both. Also there may be some days I only bring one of the two with me.

[Heartland]

Not to be too critical of your post but we should all understand that Heavy is a power and not an action.   In my mind gear ratio is not that important for frog fishing, it is typically used to manage the slack line that is produced by the proper working of the frog, any reel that picks that slack up easily would be a good fit, IPT is the better metric in my opinion.   FC line works great for contact baits especially plastics and jigs.  Match your line to your setup and fishing conditions. Balance throughout your entire setup is the goal.

[Jrob78]

1 minute ago, Boomstick said:

15 would probably be more ideal as that will be more soft plastics, but I will use that rod for skipping jigs under docks still since I have the Tatula SV paired with it, so I'd like to be able to do both. Also there may be some days I only bring one of the two with me.

Just use a backer and if the 17 doesn't work out you can change it to something a little lighter and won't be out too much line. Another thing I do sometimes when I'm only taking 1 or 2 rods on a quick bank fishing trip is switch reels out to get an optimal line for whatever set ups or techniques I plan to use that day.

[Boomstick]

1 hour ago, Heartland said:

Not to be too critical of your post but we should all understand that Heavy is a power and not an action.   In my mind gear ratio is not that important for frog fishing, it is typically used to manage the slack line that is produced by the proper working of the frog, any reel that picks that slack up easily would be a good fit, IPT is the better metric in my opinion.   FC line works great for contact baits especially plastics and jigs.  Match your line to your setup and fishing conditions. Balance throughout your entire setup is the goal.

I'm constantly mixing up power and action unless I use them together, but I am aware of the difference. I'm not too terribly concerned about gear ratio, I figure I will go for a reel at least 30" IPT, but am more undecided if I should get a Tatula CT or a Tatula 200. I figure a 200 holds around 110-120 yards of 65lb braid and a CT might hold 70-80 yards.

1 hour ago, keagbassr said:

I had the xt 7-3 hf it was definitely a pool cue which is.why I loved it for a frog  rod. ( broke it last year) not sure what you have for a truck but mine went in my colorado front to back crossways no.prob. As for frog weight i threw snagproof phat frogs which weigh  .67oz.  A mile easily on that rod. Not sure if these are abnormally heavy for you. Hope this helps.

I have a '14 Sierra. My 7'2" rod barely fits as it is, and I think I would really need to use a full on 45 degree angle to get anything larger in it. I probably could make it fit, but it would be a gamble. And when I go camping and bring the full arsenal plus the kids rods, that makes it harder to fit all the rods having to put it at a full blown angle.

 

Most of my frogs are LiveTargets (2.25" and 2.625" in size) and Booyah Pad Crashers, so between .5 and .75oz. I imagine I'd be fine on the .75oz frogs but was told the .5oz frogs did not cast very far. I might also throw a 3/8oz jig on it as well.

[Ksam1234]

4 hours ago, Boomstick said:

Hey guys, I'm about to finally invest in a heavy power rod for frogging and jigs in heavy cover, which will give me a nice full lineup of rods for bass fishing (minus a swimbait rod which comes after I buy a boat).

 

I'm fairly set on the rod. I was originally planning on getting the Daiwa Tatula frog rod, the 7'4" that is rated between .5oz and 2oz but first I am not 100% positive I can fit it in the cabin of my truck but the bigger issue is many users have told me that it's so stiff that you need an abnormally heavy frog to get any distance out of it. So I'm leaning towards the 7'1" Tatula instead which is rated for 3/8 - 1.5oz which should be perfect for both techniques and I know I can fit that inside my truck without having to rig up any rod storage in the bed (which I haven't done yet). So I'm pretty set on the rod, but have some questions on which reel to buy.

 

I am torn between a 8.1:1 gear ratio Daiwa Tatula CT (although might go with a 7.3:1 ratio because they're around $30 cheaper) or a Tatula 150 or 200 in a 7.3:1 gear ratio. Is there any real benefit of the deeper spool and higher line capacity reels or should I just save the money and go with a 7.3:1 Tatula CT?

 

Bonus question: I have some 17lb flurocarbon sitting around, would that be good on my MH/F rod which I will use for soft plastics and jigs. I have seem people use 15-20lb line for these presentations but have always used 12 or 15lb line myself.

I know you said your kind of set on a rod but you should check out IROD genesis 2 Fred’s frog stick.  It’s amazing!! I looked for a long long time before buying a frog rod and this outdid itself. It can pull the biggest bass out of the heaviest slop.  I pulled my PB 7 pounder with about 10 pounds of weeds on it up into my canoe.  It’s also amazing for jigs and flipping and pitching into cover or punching. Just a thought 

[CroakHunter]

Line capacity isn't an issue for pitching and frogging in my opinion. The farthest ill throw a frog is around 30 yards. Anything past that I struggle seeing the frog and the hooksets get tougher. I like 50 or 65lb daiwa j-braid x4 for pitching and frogging. I use fluoro from 16-22lb for pitching and jigs. 1/4 up to 3/4. 

[Heartland]

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

I'm constantly mixing up power and action unless I use them together, but I am aware of the difference. I'm not too terribly concerned about gear ratio, I figure I will go for a reel at least 30" IPT, but am more undecided if I should get a Tatula CT or a Tatula 200. I figure a 200 holds around 110-120 yards of 65lb braid and a CT might hold 70-80 yards.

I have a '14 Sierra. My 7'2" rod barely fits as it is, and I think I would really need to use a full on 45 degree angle to get anything larger in it. I probably could make it fit, but it would be a gamble. And when I go camping and bring the full arsenal plus the kids rods, that makes it harder to fit all the rods having to put it at a full blown angle.

 

Most of my frogs are LiveTargets (2.25" and 2.625" in size) and Booyah Pad Crashers, so between .5 and .75oz. I imagine I'd be fine on the .75oz frogs but was told the .5oz frogs did not cast very far. I might also throw a 3/8oz jig on it as well.

You should get the reel that you like the most.  75 or 80 yards of braid is all I ever spool regardless of capacity, I will back the rest of the capacity if necessary with a cheap mono.  I find most of my frog fishing to be done within 30 yards, just hard to get great hooksets at distances further.   I use the Falcon Cara Jason Christie Frog rod.   

[new2BC4bass]

The 7'4" is my dedicated frog rod that I keep in Florida.  The reel I used on it last year (1st time it got used) was a Curado 201E7 with 60# Original PRT.  A 1/2 oz. frog only gets so-so distance.  A 5/8 oz. white frog is not visible until reeled in a ways.  Distance is very good with the 5/8 oz. IMO.  Unfortunately I am not one who can unload a whole spool of line so my idea of excellent distances may not be the same as yours.  I recently purchased a few frogs from 1/2 oz. to 7/8 oz. and will be taking 3-4 with me this year on my trip.

 

I have no experience with the 7'1" but am partial to the original Tatula rods.  I can only assume it would be fine for your needs.  I only read great things about Fred's Magic Stick, but it is 7'5" long and from what you are saying that is too long.

 

The CT is listed as 100/16 and 65# braid is about the same diameter....depending on whose line you are comparing it to.  That is plenty of line for me.  I don't see me needing the line capacity of the 200 even with a swimbait rod.  However, I've never used a big swimbait.  Maybe I could get twice the distance as my normal lures.  I still wouldn't need anywhere near 250 yards of line. 

[scbassin]

i use a Dobyns Champion XP DC736 F/H this is a excellent frog rod. You will not be disappointed with this rod. I have the Japanese Bantam MGL as the reel. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Boomstick]

11 hours ago, Ksam1234 said:

I know you said your kind of set on a rod but you should check out IROD genesis 2 Fred’s frog stick.  It’s amazing!! I looked for a long long time before buying a frog rod and this outdid itself. It can pull the biggest bass out of the heaviest slop.  I pulled my PB 7 pounder with about 10 pounds of weeds on it up into my canoe.  It’s also amazing for jigs and flipping and pitching into cover or punching. Just a thought 

I would give that a look but there is no way I am going to be able to fit that in my truck.

 

9 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

The 7'4" is my dedicated frog rod that I keep in Florida.  The reel I used on it last year (1st time it got used) was a Curado 201E7 with 60# Original PRT.  A 1/2 oz. frog only gets so-so distance.  A 5/8 oz. white frog is not visible until reeled in a ways.  Distance is very good with the 5/8 oz. IMO.  Unfortunately I am not one who can unload a whole spool of line so my idea of excellent distances may not be the same as yours.  I recently purchased a few frogs from 1/2 oz. to 7/8 oz. and will be taking 3-4 with me this year on my trip.

 

I have no experience with the 7'1" but am partial to the original Tatula rods.  I can only assume it would be fine for your needs.  I only read great things about Fred's Magic Stick, but it is 7'5" long and from what you are saying that is too long.

 

The CT is listed as 100/16 and 65# braid is about the same diameter....depending on whose line you are comparing it to.  That is plenty of line for me.  I don't see me needing the line capacity of the 200 even with a swimbait rod.  However, I've never used a big swimbait.  Maybe I could get twice the distance as my normal lures.  I still wouldn't need anywhere near 250 yards of line. 

I believe you were the person who told me the 7'4" did not get the best distance on lighter frogs actually, then I read the same thing from several others. Sounds like it's a solid rod for larger, heavier frogs though, if I lived down south where the cold didn't stunt the growth of the bass population I would be all over that.

 

As for line capacity, I am fairly sure they are estimating capacity with thinner mono, where 65lb braid would be the equivalent of 20lb mono (The Tatula 200 lists 180 yards of 16lb mono and 130 yards of 55lb braid). So I expect to be able to hold 70-75 which could potentially spool me on a good cast if I get a mondo bass that runs with it. But, I normally keep my casts within 50 yards.

[new2BC4bass]

11 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

I believe you were the person who told me the 7'4" did not get the best distance on lighter frogs actually, then I read the same thing from several others. Sounds like it's a solid rod for larger, heavier frogs though, if I lived down south where the cold didn't stunt the growth of the bass population I would be all over that.

 

As for line capacity, I am fairly sure they are estimating capacity with thinner mono, where 65lb braid would be the equivalent of 20lb mono (The Tatula 200 lists 180 yards of 16lb mono and 130 yards of 55lb braid). So I expect to be able to hold 70-75 which could potentially spool me on a good cast if I get a mondo bass that runs with it. But, I normally keep my casts within 50 yards.

My bad.  Tacklewarehouse lists 12/250.  That is what I looked at, not the 16/185 listed right after that.  Where did you find the listing for amount of braid on reels?

 

The vast majority of 65# braids I looked at listed a .016 diameter.  Mono/Co-Polymers/Fluorocarbons weren't as consistent.  Checked a few and .016 diameter ran from 14# XT to 25# Super Natural. 

[Boomstick]

23 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

My bad.  Tacklewarehouse lists 12/250.  That is what I looked at, not the 16/185 listed right after that.  Where did you find the listing for amount of braid on reels?

 

The vast majority of 65# braids I looked at listed a .016 diameter.  Mono/Co-Polymers/Fluorocarbons weren't as consistent.  Checked a few and .016 diameter ran from 14# XT to 25# Super Natural. 

I found the 55/130 right on Daiwa's website. If I had to put money on what Daiwa calls 14lb mono, it would be right about inline with Berkley Trilene XL. But anyway you did convince me to go with the Tatula CT, I'm just looking to see if I can find a 8.1:1 for the same enticing $90 price tag I can find the 7.3:1 at, otherwise I'll just get the 7.3:1.

 

I have ran 17lb sufix siege on a Tatula SV late one season when I was fishing a lot around weeds which is probably similar to 65lb braid and never managed to spool it either, so I'm fairly sure I'll be good.

[Fishes in trees]

I'm more of a fan of braid for throwing frogs.

[Boomstick]

16 minutes ago, Fishes in trees said:

I'm more of a fan of braid for throwing frogs.

The fluro is what's going on my MH/F rod which I've been using braid on for frogs. I will be using 65lb braid for frogs. And I'll continue to use both rods for jigs, just depending on the conditions.

[new2BC4bass]

I wasn't trying to talk you into any specific reel.  I will say that 180 yards is a lot more than I have ever needed...or expect to need any time in the foreseeable future...so the 200 holds more line than I could make use of.

[Boomstick]

33 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

I wasn't trying to talk you into any specific reel.  I will say that 180 yards is a lot more than I have ever needed...or expect to need any time in the foreseeable future...so the 200 holds more line than I could make use of.

No worries you just helped me realize I should be fine. I'm definitely not one to set any records casting either and if I was going to try it would be on something like a crankbait or a spinnerbait to cover more water, not a frog or a jig. Plus once I realized that I was running marginally thicker mono on a smaller spool without issue, I solved my own dilemma.

[Boomstick]

So I have the 7'1" H/F Tatula, a 7.3:1 gear ratio Tatula CT and 300 yards of Daiwa Jbraid Grand on the way. This gives me a fairly complete rod lineup. I'll take a family photo once it arrives

[new2BC4bass]

10 hours ago, Boomstick said:

So I have the 7'1" H/F Tatula, a 7.3:1 gear ratio Tatula CT and 300 yards of Daiwa Jbraid Grand on the way. This gives me a fairly complete rod lineup. I'll take a family photo once it arrives

[scbassin]

When Frog fishing there are a few things that you should know. 1, Use a soft body frog that will collapse to expose most of the hook. 2, In heavy cover use a 6 power rod with a soft tip in lighter cover you could get by with a 5 power with a soft tip. 3, Use a reel with at least a 7.1:1 gear ratio. 4, Use a heavy braid 50 to 65 pound to cut thru the cover as you are landing the fish. 5, feel the weight of the fish before setting the hook(hard to do). 6, Make a long cast 40 to 50 yards you do not want to disturb the cover you want to fish, by bringing a boat & trolling motor into the cover will reduce your chances, Number 6 is most important, if you can do these things you should get to 60 to 70% hookup ratio which is very good.